Toiletry dispenser



Oct. 3l, 1967 J, w. SCHNELLE-R 3,349,967

TOILETRY DISPENSER Filed April 4, 1966 Attorney:

United States Patent O 3,349,967 TOILETRY DISPENSER John W. Schneller, Box 839, 714 1st St., Superior, Wis. 54401 Filed Apr. 4, 1966, Ser. No. 539,888 6 Claims. (Cl. 222-130) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A housing structure for support from a wall and in which a plurality of upstanding containers are disposed, the containers including upwardly projecting plunger-type pump .assemblies extending through the top wall of the housing and including laterally projecting outlet neck portions whose discharge ends are disposed above and forwardly of the upper marginal edge portion of the front wall of the housing.

This invention relates to a novel and useful toiletry dispenser and more specifically to a shelf-like structure adapted to be secured to a wall surface in a bathroom or the like and to support a plurality of containers of toiletry materials such as toothpaste, shaving cream, after shave lotion, and mouth wash, etc. The toiletry dispenser of the instant invention is specifically adapted to utilize commercially available containers for the toiletry materials to be dispensed and also commercially available plungertype dispensing pumps supported from the containers in such a manner that a person wishing to dispense one of the toiletry materials within the containers may readily actuate the associated plunger-type pump in order to dispense the proper amount of the desired material.

The dispenser of the instant invention includes a shelflike member for support from a bathroom wall `and has a plurality of upstanding openings formed therethrough including diametrically enlarged lower end portions. The previously mentioned containers for the various toiletry materials to be dispensed are provided with screw caps and the plunger-type pumps each include a body portion extending through the center portion of the associated screw cap and provided with a dispensing spout. The screw caps of the containers are secured in the diametrically enlarged lower end portions of the openings formed through the shelf and the upper portions of the body portions that project upwardly frorn the screw caps project Athrough the upper portions of the openings and have their discharge or dispensing spouts positioned with their outlet ends projecting outwardly of the front edge portion of the shelf.

The containers in which the toiletry materials are disposed are screw-threadedly engaged from the caps from beneath the shelf after insertion of the lower ends of the plunger-type pump into the containers by advancing the containers upwardly toward the shelf from beneath.

The shelf-type support for the various containers of the dispenser includes a depending housing portion in which the various containers are enclosed and includes a swingable front panel whereby ready access to the removable containers may be readily gained.

The main object of this invention is to provide a toiletry dispenser of the type above set forth which will comprise a convenient means for storing and dispensing a plurality of various types of toiletry materials.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a shelf` forming dispenser which may be also utilized to support various other types of articles on the upper surface of the dispenser.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a toiletry dispenser in ac- 3,349,967 Patented Oct. 31, 1967 cordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting, `and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of the toiletry dispenser of the instant invention shown operatively supported from a wall structure and with portions of the dispenser being broken away and illustrated in vertical section;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional View taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 2-2 of FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the toiletry dispenser of the instant invention. The dispenser 10 includes a main horizontal shelf-like support member 12 which is supported from Ia wall 14 by means of a plurality of brackets 16 dependingly supported from the support member 12 by means of suitable fasteners 17 and secured to the wall 14 Vby means of suitable fasteners 18.

The support member 12 has a plurality of upstanding bores 20 formed therethrough at points spaced longitudinally therealong and each of the bores 20 includes a diametrically enlarged counterbore 22 at its lower end.

The upper surface of the support member 12 may be covered by any suitable thin sheet 24 of suitable protective material secured to the support member 12 by means of suitable adhesive 26. In addition,`a protective sheet 28 may also be secured to the front edge 30 of the support member 12 and suitable opposite end strips 32 and also be provided and secured to the end edges of the support member 12.

The dispenser 10 includes a plurality of container assemblies generally referred to by the reference numerals 34 and including container elements 36 provided with externally threaded diametrically reduced hollow neck portions 38. The containers 34 also include inverted cupshaped tops 40 having centrally apertured top walls 42 and which are internally threaded as at 46 for removable threaded engagement with the neck portions 38 of the container elements 46. i Y

Each of the container assemblies 34 additionally includes a plunger-type pump assembly generally referred to by reference numeral 48 and including a reciprocal plunger 50 provided with an outlet neck 52 open at its outer end 54. The pump clude ybody portions 55 including radially outwardly projecting and circumferentially extending mounting flange portions 57 which underlie and are secured to the undersurfaces of the top walls 42 in any convenient manner such as by an adhesive coating 59. The body portions 55 include upper end portions disposed above the llange portions 57 which are receivable upwardly through the centrally disposed openings formed in the top walls 42 and also the upper ends of the bores 20.

The bores 20 are disposed adjacent the front edge 30 of the support 4member 12 in order that the outer ends 55 of the necks 52 will project beyond the front edge 30 of the support member 12.

A cabinet construction generally referred to by the reference numeral 60 is provided and includes a pair of opposite end walls 62 and a pair of opposite end walls 62 assemblies 48 additionally ininterconnected at their lower ends by a bottom wall 64. The front edge of the bottom wall 64 has a front panel 66 pivotally secured thereto and the rear marginal edge portion of the bottom wall 64 includes an upturned mounting flange 68 to which integral inturned tabs 69 of the end walls 62 and 64 are secured by means of fasteners 70.

A plurality of ma-gnets 72 are secured to the undersurface of the support member 12 adjacent the front edge 30 thereof and serve to magnetically retain the front panel or wall 66 in the closed position illustrated in the drawings.

It has been found that the plunger-type pumps 48 are commercially available and that the container elements 36 may actually be in the form of a plastic or glass nursing or baby bottle. Further, the tops 40 may also be conventional baby bottle tops having the central openings in the top walls thereof slightly enlarged. Further, any suitable material may be utilized to adhesively secure the top 40 in the counterbores 22.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly al1 suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A toiletry dispenser comprising an elongated shelf member adapted to be supported from a wall surface in a generally horizontally disposed position with one rear longitudinal edge portion of said shelf member opposing said wall surface, a plurality of upstanding openings formed through said shelf member at points spaced longitudinally therealong and including diametrically enlarged lower end portions defining a downwardly facing annular shoulder in each of said openings intermediate their upper and lower ends, a plurality of upstanding containers each including a top wall and a discharge tube supported from and passing through the central portion of said top wall with its upper end portion projecting above said top wall and provided with a laterally projecting outlet neck spaced y above said top wall and its lower end projecting down into the area of said container below said top wall, said containers being secured in said enlarged lower end portions of said openings and against said shoulders with said upper end portions projecting above said shelf member, said dispenser including a housing defining portion dependingly supported from said shelf member and enclosing the opposite ends and front portions of the area beneath said shelf member in which said containers are disposed, said housing defining portion including a pair of depending opposite end walls, a bottom wall, and a front wall, said front wall having its lower marginal portion hingedly supported from the remainder of said housing defining portion for swinging movement relative to said bottom and end walls about a horizontal axis extending between the front edge portions of said end walls and between an upstanding position closing the front of said housing defining portion and an open position with the upper edge portion of said front wall swung forwardly and downwardly so as to provide for access to the interior of said housing defining portion, the vertical extent of the interior of said housing defining portion being suflicient to receive said containers therein with said containers disposed in upright position and resting upon and supported solely from the upper surface of said bottom wall.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the front edge portion of said shelf member and the upper edge portion of said front wall includes coacting mutually magnetically attractable means releasably retaining said front wall in its closed position.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said containers include removable inverted cup-shaped caps including top panels defining said top walls, said containers including externally threaded neck portions removably threadedly engaged with said caps whereby said containers are removably supported from said shelf member for separation from said caps and discharge tubes.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein the outlet ends of said outlet necks are disposed forwardly of the front longitudinal edge portion of said shelf member.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said discharge tubes and outlet necks comprise vertically reciprocal actuator portions of a plurality of plunger pump assemblies supported from said top walls.

6. A toiletry dispenser comprising an elongated shelf member adapted to be supported from a wall surface in a generally horizontally disposed position with one rear longitudinal edge portion of said shelf member opposing said wall surface, a plurality of upstanding openings formed through said shelf member at points spaced longitudinally therealong, a plurality of upstanding containers, said containers including removable inverted cup-shaped caps including top panels defining top walls for said containers, said containers including externally threaded neck portions removably threadedly engaged with said caps whereby said containers are removably supported from said caps, a dis-charge tube supported from and passing through the central portion of each of said top walls and provided with a laterally projecting outlet neck at its upper end, said cup-shaped caps being removably secured in said openings and the lower ends of said discharge tubes projecting down into the portions of said containers below said top walls, said dispenser including a housing dening portion dependingly supported from said shelf member and enclosing the opposite ends and front portions of the area beneath said shelf member in which said containers are disposed, said housing defining portion including a pair of depending opposite end walls, a bottom wall, and a front wall, said front wall having its lower marginal portion hingedly supported from the remainder of said housing defining portion for swinging movement relative to said bottom and end walls about a horizontal axis extending between the front edge portions of said end walls and between an upstanding position closing the front of said housing defining portion and an open position with the upper edge portion of said front wall swung forwardly and downwardly so as to provide for access to the interior of said housing deiining portion, the vertical extent of the interior of said housing defining portion being suicient to receive said containers therein with said containers disposed in upright position and resting upon and supported solely from the upper surface of said bottom wall when said externally threaded neck portions are removed from threaded engagement with said caps and said containers are displaced slightly downwardly from said caps.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 650,166 5/ 1900 Chadebourn 222-135 1,465,021 8/ 1923 Nicolson 222-1'32 X 2,073,061 3/1937 Hein 222-135 2,294,236 8/ 1942 Levernier 222-180 X 2,407,765 9/1946 Palmer 222-180 X 2,411,196 11/1946 Dolan 222-130 X 2,465,142 3/ 1949 Wisler 222-130 X 2,507,642 5/ 1950 McDonald 222-130 X 2,529,407 11/1950 Midouhas. 2,628,744 2/ 1953 Mowbray 222-180 X 2,681,549 6/ 1954 Maxwell 222-146 X RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner. 

1. A TOILETRY DISPENSER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED SHELF MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED FROM A WALL SURFACE IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED POSTION WITH ONE REAR LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTION OF SAID SHELF MEMBER OPPOSING SAID WALL SURFACE, A PLURALITY OF UPSTANDING OPENINGS FORMED THROUGH SAID SHELF MEMBER AT POINTS SPACED LONGITUDINALLY THEREALONG AND INCLUDING DIAMETRICALLY ENLARGED LOWER END PORTIONS DEFINING A DOWNWARDLY FACING ANNULAR SHOULDER IN EACH OF SAID OPENINGS INTERMEDIATE THEIR UPPER AND LOWER ENDS, A PLURALITY OF UPSTANDING CONTAINERS EACH INCLUDING A TOP WALL AND A DISCHARGE TUBE SUPPORTED FROM AND PASSING THROUGH THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID TOP WALL WITH ITS UPPER END PORTION PROJECTING ABOVE SAID TOP WALL AND PROVIDED WITH A LATERALLY PROJECTING OUTLET NECK SPACED ABOVE SAID TOP WALL AND ITS LOWER END PROJECTING DOWN INTO THE AREA OF SAID CONTAINER BELOW SAID TOP WALL, SAID CONTAINERS BEING SECURED IN SAID ENLARGED LOWER END PORTIONS OF SAID OPENINGS AND AGAINST SAID SHOULDERS WITH SAID UPPER END PORTIONS PROJECTING ABOVE SAID SHELF MEMBER, SAID DISPENSER INCLUDING A HOUSING DEFINING PORTION DEPENDINGLY SUPPORTED FROM SAID SHELF MEMBER AND ENCLOSING THE OPPOSITE ENDS AND FRONT PORTIONS OF THE AREA BENEATH SAID SHELF MEMBER IN WHICH SAID CONTAINERS ARE DISPOSED, SAID HOUSING DEFINING PORTION INCLUDING A PAIR OF DEPENDING OPPOSITE END WALLS, A BOTTOM WALL, AND A FRONT WALL, SAID FRONT WALL HAVING ITS LOWER MARGINAL PORTION HINGEDLY SUPPORTED FROM THE REMAINDER OF SAID HOUSING DEFINING PORTION FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID BOTTOM AND END WALLS ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS EXTENDING BETWEEN THE FRONT EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID END WALLS AND BETWEEN AN UPSTANDING POSITION CLOSING THE FRONT OF SAID HOUSING DEFINING PORTION AND AN OPEN POSITION WITH THE UPPER EDGE PORTION OF SAID FRONT WALL SWUNG FORWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR ACCESS TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING DEFINING PORTION, THE VERTICAL EXTENT OF THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING DEFINING PORTION BEING SUFFICIENT TO RECEIVE SAID CONTAINERS THEREIN WITH SAID CONTAINERS DISPOSED IN UPRIGHT POSITION AND RESTING UPON AND SUPPORTED SOLELY FROM THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BOTTOM WALL. 